BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN S V.M.PUBLIC SCHOOL, VADODARA SESSION 2017-18 Class: X Max Marks: 80 Subject: English Time Allotted: 3 hrs Instructions: Question paper is divided into three sections. Paper - 10 Section A: Reading: Section B: Writing & Grammar: Section C: Literature Textbook and extended Reading Text: 20 Marks 30 Marks 30 Marks Section: A (Reading 20 Marks) Q.1. Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. [08] A little girl was fond of asking new questions day after day. One day she asked her mother, Mummy, which one is good - an apple or a pear, a rose or a jasmine, a ball or a doll? The mother answered her questions easily but this time she was confused. How could she definitely say that one thing was good and the other was not? However she evaded the answer somehow. But after a few days the little girl posed another question, Mummy, is a story good or a song? This time the mother was well prepared and told the little girl that she would ask her a question first to which she should give a thoughtful reply. The mother then asked, Tell me, is the sun good or the sky? The little girl thought and thought but could not find the right answer. She looked at the sky and then at the sun. It was indeed very difficult for her to decide in favour of either of the two since both were stunningly beautiful. Besides both were so close and inseparable. The little girl now understood the point. Thereafter she never asked which one was good - this or that. Now she began to ask, What is good in stories? What is good in songs? And the mother answered her questions happily. (a) What was the little girl fond of? [1] (b) Why did the little girl s question confuse the mother? [2] (c) How did the mother solve the problem? [1] (d) Why could the girl not decide in favour of either the sun or the sky? [2] (e) What did she understand now? How did she change herself? [2] Q.2. Read the passage given below [12] 1. The exchange of greetings among people is very common. The most popular medium for this is the greetings card. It is usually sent by post. It is an illustrated message that expresses friendship, love, affection, goodwill, gratitude or some similar sentiment. Greeting cards are also sent to convey congratulations,
thanks or get-well messages. 2. The practice of exchanging these cards between friends is an ancient one. The ancient Egyptians celebrated New Year by giving each other symbolic presents like scent bottles and mud tablets with the inscription Good luck to you. In ancient Rome, the medium of expression was a branch of an olive tree. Their leaves were coated with gold. 3. The practice of sending greetings for the New Year continued in Europe through the early days of the millennium. Then came the printing press. With its commercial use by 18th and 19th centuries, the exchange of New Year cards by merchants and tradesmen became very ordinary and uninteresting. Postal stamps and envelopes were introduced in 1840. They made the process of sending or passing the greetings from one person or place to another very convenient. The modern day greetings card became definite and clear in 1843 when the first Christmas card with season s greetings was designed in Britain. The commercial production of greeting cards became fully established by 1860. 4. There are several means of conveying greetings but the public post remains the most popular. In the modern times technology has greatly developed. There is almost a revolution in the field of communication. With the availability of this technology electronic mail is also being increasingly used for sending greetings. 5. In India, the practice of sending greeting cards was begun by the British. This practice still continues. We send greeting cards on occasions like New Year, Christmas, Diwali, Pongal, Durga Puja, Baisakhi, Bihu and other regional festivals. Answer the following questions briefly: (a) Why do the people send greeting cards? [2] (b) What symbolic presents did the Egyptians send on the eve of New Year? [2] (c) How did the ancient Romans convey their greetings? [1] (d) What effect did the printing press bring on the exchange of New Year cards? [2] (e) What changes were brought about with the introduction of postal stamps and envelopes? [1] (f) Who introduced this practice in India? [1] (g) Find out from the passage the adverb form of the words given below: [2] (i) usual (Para 1) (ii) great (Para 4) (h) Find out from the passage the word which means the same as the following: [1] sense of being thankful for forever (Para 1)
Section: B (Writing & Grammar 30 Marks) Q.3. You recently visited a government hospital. You were shocked to see the poor state of sanitation. Write a letter to the Director of Health Services requesting him to pay urgent attention to this situation and take remedial measures. You are Lokesh/Lalita,D-76, Anandpur, Delhi. [8] Q.3. You are Ajeet / Anika, a student of S.M. Public School, Delhi. You are concerned about the water crisis which has become very dangerous.write a letter to the editor of a newspaper highlighting the need to provide water in drought hit areas and the dire need of creating awareness about the conservation of water through informative posters. [8] Q.4. Write a story in about 200-250 words on the basis of the hints provided. [10] My mother asked me to go to the market in the evening. Initially first I wanted to avoid but then thinking she needed milk for my little brother I left home reluctantly. I reached the market and was about to pay money for the milk, when suddenly I saw a ----------------------------------. Summer holidays had begun. Mohit was excited. His father had made arrangements for a trip to.. Q.5. Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from the ones given below. [4] Marita and (a) newspaper sitting (b) the library. She read about a woman (c) had climbed Mt. Everest. Marita said, May be one day I (d) climb too. (a) (i) a (ii) the (iii) her (iv) about (b) (i) the (ii) in (iii) during (iv) on (c) (i) which (ii) whose (iii) who (iv) she (d) (i) is (ii) was (iii) are (iv) shall Q.6. There is a word missing in each line. Write the missing word along with the one that comes before and the one that comes after it. [4] Patriotism is noble virtue. e.g., is a noble Patriotism means love one s country. (a) A person loves his/her country more (b) than anything else called a patriot. (c)
Patriotism inspires a man do everything (d) just and fair for the well being betterment (e) of the country. It is the quality impels a (f) man to sacrifice own interest, comfort, (g) pleasure and even his life for the sake his own country. (h) Q.7. Rearrange these words and phrases to make meaningful sentences. [4] 1. 12,000 species / all over / there are / of ants / the world / more than 2. or groups / who live in / social insects / they are/ small colonies 3. of millions / ant colonies / of ants / can consist 4. one of / that of reading / known to / is / greatest / the / pleasures / man Section: C (Literature & Extended Reading 30 Marks) Q.8. Read the extract given below and answer the question that follows. [4] The eye of a little God, four cornered Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink, with speckles; I have looked at it so long I think it a part of my heart. (a) Why has the mirror been called four cornered God? (b) Explain, Meditate on the opposite wall. (c) How is the meditation interrupted? (d) Why does the mirror say that the opposite wall is a part of his heart? Good countrymen, let me depart alone, And, four my sake, stay here with Antony: (a) Identify the speaker of the above lines. (b) When and where the above lines spoken? (c) Bring out the irony in the above extract. (d) What is the final result of the speaker s request?
Q.9. Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each. [8] (a) What was Mrs. Packletide s attitude towards Loona Bimberton? (b) How did the frog exploit the nightingale? (c) What advice had Mr. Pakrashi given to Patol babu? (d) How had Sebastian entered the games Michael later on bought? (e) Why did the author not speak to the boys on their return journey? Q.10. Attempt the following questions in 100-120 words each. [8] It was not only the doing of the frog. The nightingale, too, to some extent, as herself responsible for her downfall and death. Justify. The poem Snake reminds us of the fact that animals too have a right to life which we have no right to deny them. Describe how man should co-exist with nature and its creatures for ecological balance. Q.11. Answer the following questions in 200-250 words each. [10] What does Helen say about her association with Dr. Graham Bell? Describe Merton S. Keith as he appears in Helen Keller s The story of my life. By: ARJUN RAVAL